Mazda is using its new Kiyora city car concept as a platform to demonstrate how it plans to achieve fuel efficiency improvements of 30 percent in the next few years. The Kiyora takes the design themes seen on recent Mazda concepts like the Furai and Ryuga and applies it to a 12.4 ft long 4-seater. The water theme of this design has a drag coefficient 10 percent lower than the recently introduced Mazda2. The 1.3L four cylinder engine features the latest generation direct injection system along with variable cam phasing and valve lift on both cam shafts. Power is transferred to the wheels via a lightweight new 6-speed automatic transmission. Since the Kiyora is designed as a compact city car, an automatic start stop is an obvious addition. This concept has Mazda’s new Smart Idle Stop System that utilizes the direct injection system to get the engine restarted without using the starter motor.

Gallery: Paris 08: Mazda Kiyora concept

[Source: Mazda]

Continue reading Paris 2008: Mazda Kiyora city car concept

With its most recent entries, the mid-sized 6 and sub-compact 2, Mazda has demonstrated that new generations of cars don’t necessarily have to get heavier. Each of the recently introduced new models are at least 100 lbs lighter than the predecessors. For its next generation of new cars, Mazda intends to step up its game even more, aiming for reductions of over 400 lbs. Mazda engineers will completely re-examine the structural design of the cars. One of the areas of focus will be to direct crash forces through the floor pan rather than the body. The large surface area of the floor apparently requires less reinforcement to achieve similar load bearing capacity than the upper body structure. New aerated plastics will also help reduce the weight of the components that dominate the interior of the car. New powertrains, including continued development of the Wankel rotary engine, will also contribute to weight savings.

[Source: AutoCar]

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It’s been rumored and alluded to so many times that we just began accepting it as fact, and now it is: Toyota has confirmed that Lexus will indeed get a version of the Toyota Prius. Based on the third-generation of the Prius hatchback that is set to debut in January at the Detroit Auto Show, the Lexus is expected to be a bit less fuel efficient, a bit more sporty and a lot more opulent. We have no idea what Toyota’s luxury division will charge for its new hybrid, but it’ll definitely be sold for a premium over its Toyota sibling.

A second dedicated hybrid model will join the new Lexus Prius. Lexus officials in Paris for the Motor Show have confirmed that it will not be sold in Europe alongside its upmarket Prius, which will show up in Europe in 2010. The reason? Its carbon emissions will be too high, which doesn’t exactly bode well for fuel efficiency. One more salient detail was slipped, the third-gen Prius will emit 92 g/km of CO₂, and a new low-emissions version will have CO₂ emissions of 89g/km, which does indeed bode well for its mileage. We’ll see how all of this translates early next year.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req’d]

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Land Rover vehicles are not renowned for their fuel efficiency, at least not in a good way. Now that the English SUV builder is owned by India’s Tata it has to make do without input from Ford and will have to meet future CO₂ emissions limits without averaging with its former parent. As a step in that direction, Land Rover unveiled a new variant of the Freelander 2 (LR2 here in the states) at the Paris Motor Show. The TD4_e version adds a new “Intelligent Start/Stop” system along with an upshift light in the instrument cluster. When the TD4_e replaces the current TD4 next year, it will also get lower rolling resistance tires.

Because of the high compression ratios of diesel engines, they tend to shudder a bit when shutoff abruptly. Land Rover has incorporated some control changes that ramp down the fuel feed and engine speed before shutting off completely allowing for smoother operation. The engine is shutoff when the vehicle stops, the transmission is in neutral and the clutch pedal released. As soon as the driver presses the clutch pedal, the engine restarts. The bottom line is an eight percent improvement in fuel efficiency from 31.4 mpg to 34.6 mpg (U.S.). Since no Land Rovers are available with diesel engines in North America, we probably won’t see the TD4_e anytime soon.

Gallery: Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4_e

[Source: Land Rover]

Lee Hyun-soon, Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group’s R&D boss told Automotive News that Hyundai will add six speed automatic transmissions to smaller and mid-sized cars and an eight speed automatic to the larger Genesis within two years. In addition to more efficient drivetrains, Hyundai will use aluminum, plastic and high strength steel to reduce the weight of its vehicles. While Hyundai is working on hybrids that are expected to start hitting the market sometime in 2009, Lee also said that the weight and cost of batteries means the company doesn’t plan any full EVs anytime soon.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req’d]

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Honda Becomes Official Vehicle of the NHL

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda Canada, Inc., and the National Hockey League (NHL) have entered into a 3-year agreement naming Honda as the official vehicle of the NHL, the companies announced today. Elements of the agreement include Honda sponsorship of NHL television and Internet coverage along with active participation at NHL events in both the United States and Canada, such as NHL Face-Off Rocks 2008, NHL Winter Classic and NHL All-Star Weekend.

"With more than 53 million fans in the United States and Canada, the NHL is a big part of the sports landscape in North America," said Steve Center, vice president of advertising and public relations for American Honda. "Honda has a long history of supporting sports at all levels worldwide, and working with the NHL will give Honda a great opportunity to become an even bigger part of the hockey experience."

"This partnership integrates the leading brand in the automotive industry with the strength, momentum and excitement of the NHL brand," said Keith Wachtel, the NHL's senior vice president of corporate sales and marketing. "We are excited to have Honda as part of every major NHL platform while strengthening partnerships with NHL member clubs."

The 3-year agreement with the NHL includes provisions for advertising on NHL.com and during game broadcasts, camera-visible signage during games and events, on-site displays of Honda vehicles at select events, and much more. Honda began its involvement with hockey when it became the presenting sponsor of the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Ducks, in 2006.

About the NHL
The National Hockey League, founded in 1917, is the second-oldest of the four major professional team sports leagues in North America. Today, the NHL consists of 30 Member Clubs, each reflecting the League's international makeup, with players from more than 20 countries represented on team rosters. According to a Simmons Market Research study, NHL fans are younger, more educated, more affluent, and access content through digital means more than any other sport. The NHL entertains more than 100 million fans each season in-arena and through its partners in national television (VERSUS, NBC, TSN, CBC, RDS, RIS, NASN, ASN and NHL Network) and radio (Westwood One, Sirius XM Radio and XM Canada). Through the NHL Foundation, the League's charitable arm, the NHL raises money and awareness for Hockey Fights Cancer and NHL Youth Development, and supports the charitable efforts of NHL players. For more information on the NHL, log on to NHL.com.

For more information and downloadable high-resolution images of Honda vehicles, please visit www.hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at www.honda.com.

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Acura Cars Have Tough Luck In Petit Le Mans With A Series Of Mishaps On The Tight Road Atlanta Circuit

Acura's battle for the 2008 American Le Mans Series LMP2 class titles in the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta ended Saturday in a mass of crash damage after the 1,000-mile endurance classic.

Ready to challenge the three-car assault of Roger Penske's Porsches, the four Acura teams prepared for a flat-out 10-hour challenge on the tight 2.54-mile, 12-turn road circuit northeast of Atlanta.

However, at the conclusion, Gil de Ferran, Scott Dixon and Simon Pagenaud brought home the only Acura to finish when the No. 66 Panasonic ELS de Ferran Motorsports Acura ARX-01b prototype placed fifth in the LMP2 division at the checkered flag.

A series of incidents eliminated the No. 9 Patrón Highcroft Acura ARX-01b of Scott Sharp, David Brabham and Dario Franchitti in the first hour; the No. 15 Lowe's Fernandez Acura ARX-01b of Adrian Fernandez, Luis Diaz and Michel Jourdain Jr. at the halfway point; and Acura's strongest effort, the No. 26 XM Satellite Radio Andretti Green Acura ARX-01b of Franck Montagny, Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti, in the final hour of competition.

After an impressive 1-2-3 finish last month at Detroit, Acura's chance for the LMP2 manufacturers' title took a major hit Saturday. Acura had entered the Petit Le Mans with a four-point lead, but now, with the final round set for Laguna Seca on Oct. 18, Acura trails Porsche by eight points. The Penske Porsche of Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves captured the Saturday's prestigious ALMS event.

The XM Acura, with Montagny, the Detroit winner, at the controls, looked to be in a position to win the LMP2 class. However, Georges Forgeois spun his Lola entering Turn 12, causing a massive crash that took out Montagny and Patrick Pilet. Montagny had charged from fourth to second and led briefly before his final pit stop.

The day started poorly for the Patrón Highcroft team, battling for the team point title, when Sharp's Acura hit the inside wall in Turn 11. The damage was too extensive to continue.

The Lowe's Acura ran consistently in the top five for six hours, but Diaz's mount was hit by a lapped GT car in Turn 3. The collision knocked the Lowe's car into the retaining wall and its rear suspension was damaged.

The de Ferran contingent battled through some loose body work, ignition problems and an early spin to finish its first 10-hour event. The Indianapolis-based team entered the ALMS campaign at mid-season in Utah.

De Ferran ran the first three hours and 20 minutes, his longest driving stint since his winning the Indy 500 in 2003. The two-time CART champion fought an ill-handling car in the first two hours before handing the Acura over to the current Indy 500 and IndyCar Series championDixon. Dixon drove over three hours, as did Pagenaud, to score Acura's top - five finish.

PETIT LE MANS (LMP2 Class)

1. Penske Porsche No. 5
2. Penske Porsche No. 7
5. DE FERRAN PANASONIC ACURA ARX-01b No. 66
7. AGR XM SATELLITE RADIO ACURA ARX-01b No. 26
8. LOWE'S FERNANDEZ ACURA ARX-01B No. 15
9. PATRÓN HIGHCROFT ACURA ARX-01b No. 9

UPCOMING ALMS RACE:

Event: Monterey Sports Car Challenge
Track: Laguna Seca
Monterey, CA
(2.238 miles, 11 turns)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008
2:45 p.m. (PDT)
Distance: 4 hours
TV: SPEED-TV, Oct. 4, 11:00 a.m. EDT
Acura Contacts:
Tom Blattler, 317-525-5692
T.E. McHale, 310-783-3169

AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES POINTS (LMP2)

Drivers
1. Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas 181
2. David Brabham, Scott Sharp 163
3. Patrick Long 117
4. Sasha Maassen 109
5. Marino Franchitti, B. Leitzinger 98
6. Guy Smith, Chris Dyson 84
7. Adrian Fernandez, Luis Diaz 75

Manufacturers - Engine - Chassis
1. Porsche - 192 - 192
2. ACURA - 184 - 184

ACURA QUOTES:

FRANCK MONTAGNY (#26 XM Satellite Radio Acura ARX-01b): " One car spun to the right, another spun to the left, I tried to go between the two to avoid contact but a piece of debris hit my car and that was it. It broke the front suspension and there was nothing for me to do. It is just unfortunate because we had a chance to be there challenging for the LMP2 win at the end. The XM Radio Acura crew did a great job all weekend. They worked hard yesterday to repair the car for qualifying after the morning incident and gave Tony [Kanaan], Marco [Andretti] and me a great car for the race."

TONY KANAAN (#26 XM Satellite Radio Acura ARX-01b): "It is not easy out there. The hours in the gym are paying off here. I had a lot of fun out there, but it is a tough race. When we started the race, I thought to my- self, 'is this 20-lap race or a 10-hour race?' It was a good battle with the Porsches. They are a little bit quicker in the straights, but we are better in the corners. Right now, we have to take advantage in traffic and use our strategy for the end. I think we have something for them later. The Porsches have to change tires every stop and we don't. So we'll make up time on our stops."

MARCO ANDRETTI (#26 XM Satellite Radio Acura ARX-01b): "It was unfortunate. The XM Radio Acura was really good. We definitely had the best strategist behind us to put us in a really great position at the end. We had the car to win. It's a bummer."

DAVID BRABHAM (#9 Patrón Highcroft Racing Acura ARX- 01b): "It's a real shame to end the race this way after the guys did such a tremendous job to repair the car and get it back into such good shape. Scott was doing great and everything was looking promising. Naturally everyone is gutted, but now we will just focus on repairing the car and coming back stronger to hopefully win at Laguna Seca in the final race of the season."

SCOTT SHARP (#9 Patrón Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-01b): " The Patrón Highcroft Acura was running great. I was taking it easy and trying to get through the traffic but making good progress. I got through Turn 10A and then got on the throttle. It's not a tough corner, but the car started to go into a lazy spin then it began to slide and I couldn't help but hit the inside wall. It was like something broke or a tire went down, it was a very odd feeling and very strange. It is a tough day for our Patrón Highcroft team. They worked so hard to get the car back together on Thursday after an early crash and now this incident."

DARIO FRANCHITTI (#9 Patrón Highcroft Racing Acura ARX-01b): "It is too bad that our race ended so early. I was looking forward to driving the Patrón Highcroft Acura so much. It was great to be back in the American Le Mans Series. It would have been fun to race against my brother, [Porsche driver] Marino, for the first time. But we didn't get the chance for that today."

SIMON PAGENAUD (#66 Panasonic ELS Surround Acura ARX-01b): "It was fun to drive with Scott [Dixon]. He brought a lot to the team. I enjoyed racing at night. Our last set of tires were very good and the car was working well. I had a couple of close calls. In one of them, I just missed one of the crashes. I had stuff in my helmet. I actually thought I blew a tire when I drove through a lot of debris. But, overall, this was a good race for the whole team. It was our first endurance race and we learned a lot from it. It was a good learning experi- ence for Sebring and next year."

GIL de FERRAN (#66 Panasonic ELS Surround Acura ARX-01b): "We had a very difficult first stint. We had two issues. We started the race with not quite enough downforce and the car was very, very difficult to drive early in the race. We also sustained some dam- age, which really affected the balance a lot. I had a lot of oversteer on the car and eventually that caused me to spin. We lost two laps on that incident which is unfortunate. We repaired the car, changed the back end, fixed the damage, and put some more downforce on the car and it was handling pretty well after that. It was not looking too bad. It's a shame that we lost a couple of laps."

SCOTT DIXON (#66 Panasonic ELS Surround Acura ARX-01b): "It was a blast for me. I had a great time with the team and Gil and Simon. The Acura is a tremendous car to drive. I hope they will have me back again, maybe Sebring. I have won at Indy and Daytona [24 Hours], so I would like to win at Sebring, too. Not many people have won all three. We had a little trouble with the ignition in the pits. But after that, the car ran great. I want to thank Gil for the chance to race with the de Ferran team. It was a fun time."

ADRIAN FERNANDEZ (#15 Lowe's Fernandez Acura ARX-01b): "The incident that Luis [Diaz] had with the backmarker was unfortunate. Traffic has been very, very difficult. We were hoping that the car would be its best at night because the three of us were really struggling to stay on top of the car and we barely managed to stay on the lead lap. This track has caught out a lot of people and caused a lot of damage. It is not an easy place. I have always said that dealing with traffic is the hardest part about racing in this series. Once in awhile, it will bite you and it bit us today. It has been a tough year for us and we have to come on top of it for next year because there is just one more race."

LUIS DIAZ (#15 Lowe's Fernandez Acura ARX-01b): "It was a very bad day for me. I feel bad for all of the guys that worked hard to give us a competitive car today. I got together with a Ferrari. I made passes there before and nothing happened and it seemed to be very bad timing this time. I feel bad and I hope we have a better race in Laguna."

MICHEL JOURDAIN JR. (#15 Lowe's Fernandez Acura ARX-01b): "The incident was unfortunate and it could have happened to any of us. This is the toughest track I have ever driven in my life for traffic. On my stint, I was a little bit too conservative at the beginning in traffic and I lost some time. From there, I felt like I was staying with those guys but then I started losing them. I wish we could have had the first win but we didn't have the speed today like Adrian said and that makes it even harder in traffic. I really hope that the team does well in a couple of weeks in Laguna. For sure, I feel like I am much better prepared for Sebring next year after running this race."

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Honda Insight Concept Hybrid Vehicle Revealed at Paris Motor Show

Honda today revealed a concept version of its new small hybrid vehicle, named Insight, at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. The new Insight Concept shares styling cues with the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle and provides an early look at the highly anticipated five-passenger hybrid vehicle.

Takeo Fukui, president and chief executive officer of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., presided over the reveal and presented information about the new vehicle set to go on sale in the spring of 2009. Prior to the Paris reveal, on September 4, Honda released limited details and photos of the Insight Concept. Today, Honda also released a synopsis of Fukui's remarks along with additional photos and video of the now-revealed concept car.

For more information and downloadable high-resolution images of the Insight Concept and other Honda vehicles, including the Civic Hybrid, please visit www.hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at www.honda.com.

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Honda Insight Concept

Honda introduced the Insight Concept hybrid vehicle at the 2008 Paris Auto Show. download - 2.1 MB

2008 Paris Motor Show Remarks by Takeo Fukui, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., LTD

Good morning ladies and gentlemen... and thank you for joining Honda. It is great to be in Paris again... a trendsetting city where... today... we plan to introduce the concept for a trendsetting new vehicle.

The need to reduce CO2 emissions is a global challenge that transcends all national borders. Honda is addressing this challenge with technologies for the current, near and long-term.

Today we are introducing an all-new Jazz in Europe... with an enhanced design... even greater utility... while further reducing fuel consumption. And it achieves the number one fuel efficiency for B-segment petrol vehicles. To help us meet increasing global demand for high fuel efficiency cars, we will begin production of Jazz at our plant in the U.K. next year.

For the long term, we believe fuel cell electric vehicle technology is the ultimate environmental solution. And we have begun introducing the industry- leading Honda FCX Clarity to individual customers to advance this technology.

But to reduce CO2 emissions in the near term, Honda believes the best approach is to advance hybrid technology to mainstream customers. And the foundation of our efforts is the Honda Company Principle that has guided our business for more than 50 years. Maintaining a global viewpoint... with products of the highest quality... at a reasonable price... for worldwide customer satisfaction.

Today, we introduce a hybrid vehicle concept model... the all-new Honda Insight... that takes this principle into action. The original Insight was a 2-seat subcompact car. Introduced in 1999, it was a pioneer for petrol-electric hybrid technology in Europe and North America... as the very first commercially available hybrid car in these markets. We applied new technologies to achieve the number one fuel efficiency in the industry. These included the ultimate in aerodynamic design... an all-aluminum body and new processes for aluminum body production... and the compact IMA hybrid system.

The all-new Honda Insight will also be a pioneer... challenging to take hybrid technology into a new era of affordability. This new Insight will give more people the chance to get behind the wheel of a high quality hybrid vehicle only Honda can develop. Following the advanced aerodynamic design of FCX Clarity, Insight is a 5-seat 5-door hatchback... with room for a family.

We are developing this vehicle to achieve excellent fuel efficiency on par with Civic Hybrid... but at a significantly reduced price. The new Insight is equipped with a hybrid system that combines a lightweight and compact 1.3-liter engine with a motor that will achieve excellent fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions.

We created a newly developed platform with the control unit and battery under the cargo space. As a result, Insight achieves excellent utility together with light and comfortable driving feel to offer a "Fun to Drive" spirit.

This new Insight represents the further advance of our concept of offering a hybrid for everyone. We have further reduced the weight and size of the hybrid system. And we have improved and strengthened our production system to further reduce the cost of our hybrid system.

While we continue to view the FCX Clarity fuel-cell vehicle as the ultimate solution, we will position Insight as an environmentally-responsible vehicle available to everyone now. The mass-production Insight will go on sale in Europe, Japan, and North America in spring 2009... with expected annual global sales of 200,000 units.

The new Insight marks the start of a new phase in our hybrid vehicle strategy... that will also include the Civic Hybrid, a new vehicle based on the CR-Z concept vehicle and a new Jazz hybrid. We expect combined annual sales to reach approximately 500,000 units.

As a next step... we plan to unveil the mass-production model of Insight next January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. But, now, it is my pleasure to give you this first look at the Insight Concept model. Thank you for your attention.

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